


The Bachelorette

by KESwriter



Category: Doctor Who
Genre: Action/Adventure, Drama & Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-24
Updated: 2020-01-27
Packaged: 2021-02-27 09:15:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,566
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22394629
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KESwriter/pseuds/KESwriter
Summary: The Doctor is trapped in an intergalactic dating show where she is the Bachelorette and twenty men representing different realities must vie for her love or have their realities destroyed. Only one person recognizes her and they must work together to stop this race of reality-destroying aliens and save her friends.
Comments: 1
Kudos: 3





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So, this idea sprung at ten o’clock last night, and kept me up until midnight. It woke me up at five a.m. So, I think I’m going to write it out. I’ll explain more with time.

The Bachelorette  
“So, who’s ready for the greatest rock concert in the universe?” the Doctor asked excitedly. “I got us VIP passes!”  
“A rock concert in outer space sounds awesome,” Yaz said.  
“Do you have ear plugs for me?” Graham asked. “I can’t tolerate the noise as well as I used to.”  
Ryan snickered.  
“Old man.”  
“Watch it!” Graham snapped. “One day you’ll be all wrinkly and won’t like loud noises as much!”  
The Doctor pulled open a compartment and produced a pair of pink earplugs. She tossed them to him.  
“Okay, lets, rock!” the Doctor said and opened the door.  
They walked out to an open arena floor. There wasn’t a soul around.  
“Did we arrive early?” Yaz asked.  
The Doctor scanned the area with her sonic screwdriver.  
“Somethings here,” she said. “I just don’t know what.”  
“There are no instruments on the stage even,” Ryan said.  
“I don’t like this,” the Doctor said. “This feels like a trap. Back to the TARDIS!”  
There was an unearthly screeching sound. Everyone reached to plug their ears, including Graham.  
The floor suddenly collapsed in half, and everyone was engulfed in darkness, before they could even scream.  
…  
The next time the Doctor opened her eyes, she felt weird, like something was missing. Looking down on herself, she nearly screamed. All she was wearing was a red string bikini bathing suit; something she did not remember putting on. Looking forward, she realized was on a pedestal in a glass tube that went above her head.  
The Doctor slammed her hands against it.  
“I see you’re awake.”  
A heavily tanned man with dark slicked-back hair wearing an expensive gray suit emerged from the darkness. He looked human with the exception of him having six fingers and gray webbed feet.  
“Who are you and what do you want?”  
He smiled menacingly.  
“I already have what I want,” he said.  
Both of the Doctor’s hearts beat so loudly she could hear them in her ears.  
“Okay, then who are you?” she asked, trying to keep her chipper, but commanding exterior up.  
“I am Infinix, the reality keeper,” he said. “Nineteen realities are going to be destroyed and you’re going to help me.”  
“No, I won’t,” she said. “I refuse.”  
His smile broadened. Pulling out a remote, he clicked it and a screen popped out of the floor.  
Her three friends appeared in cages (luckily clothed as they usually were) with glowing orange collars. They were each screaming, but the Doctor couldn’t hear them.  
He clicked the remote and electricity pulsed out of the collars. Then the Doctor could hear each of the screaming in agony.  
“Enough!” the Doctor shouted.  
Infinix clicked the remote again and the shocking stop. They each gasped in exhaustion.  
He clicked the remote again and the screen disappeared. Then he approached the glass.  
“You disobey me and your friends will suffer,” he said in a cruel tone. “Do we understand each other?”  
The Doctor nodded.  
“Good.”  
He turned and clicked the remote to reveal a case containing her clothes, and another, her sonic screwdriver.  
Infinix pressed a button on the case and her sonic screw driver, exploded. He then turned a pressed button on the side of the case and her clothes went up in flames.  
“Where is my TARDIS?” she asked.  
“On a heavily guarded in moon on the other side of the universe,” he said. “We’ve used several different guns on it, but your infernal box refuses to be destroyed.”  
“She’s resilient,” she said. “Now what do you want from me?”  
“Have you heard of the TV show The Bachelorette?”  
“What? No. I’m afraid I’m a bit busy to catch up on what’s on the telly.”  
“You will be the Bachelorette and twenty men representing twenty different realities, will vie for you love on intergalactic TV. You will not identify yourself as the Doctor but as a Jane Smith, a travel guide writer on earth.”  
“Why are you choosing to do it this way?” she asked.  
“Because the universe finds humanity’s quest for love intoxicatingly funny. Nineteen realities gone after twelve weeks of television. How delightful.”  
“Why me? And what will happen to me and my friends at the end?”  
“Your friends will be kept to keep you in line until you produce a Gallifreyan child with the suitor of your choice. Then they’ll be scattered around the universe. Don’t say I didn’t show mercy.”  
The Doctor didn’t say anything.  
“I know what you’re doing Doctor,” he said. “Information is your best tool. Your weapon of choice. There are no weaknesses in my plan. As for why you? A prophesy has said that a new reality will shape around the child of a timelord. We’ve been trying lure you for years, multiple regenerations, setting traps across the universe, sending races of aliens after you. We even tried to lure the Master. You will give us a child Doctor, and the universe will never be the same.”  
“You won’t get away with this!” she declared. “I’ll find a way. I always have and I always will.”  
“I don’t particularly care for your pitiful attempts at showing bravery,” he said and raised his holding the remote.  
“NO!” she screamed.  
“That was your final warning,” he said. “I am in control. Not you!”  
He snapped his fingers and two pale women with sharp black bobs in blue robes appeared.  
Infinix tapped on the glass and it disappeared.  
“Take her to her room,” he said. “And Doctor, I have eyes on you at all times, so if you try something, your friends will suffer.”  
The two women took her hands as she stepped off the pedestal and led her down a hall. They used retinal scanners to open the door. The Doctor stepped forward and was in a hotel room decorated in cream colors. The door shut behind her.  
“Okay,” she said as she paced. “This is bad. But it will work out. He can’t win. I just need to come up with a plan with no sonic, TARDIS, and proper clothing. It shouldn’t be too hard. I’ve beat worse odds.”  
A sudden tear formed. She quickly wiped it away.  
“No crying while facing forceful impregnation, the destructions of multiple realities, and the loss of friends.”  
She took a deep breath and stood up straight. Time to be brave like never before.


	2. Chapter Two

Chapter Two:  
Parts of her were bleached and waxed. Her hair was lengthened using chemical inducers and then set in delicate waves. She was forced to try on and be photographed in an endless array of skimpy outfits. The Doctor never wanted to scream more in her life. Yet, she kept her cool.   
“I’ve been looking for love in all the wrong places,” she said with a coy smile as she read from the teleprompter for the cameras. “I look forward to going on the Bachelorette to find the man of my dreams.”  
At one point they put a needle to her arm.  
“Can you tell me what is in that?” she asked politely.  
“It is a contraceptive shot,” the woman said. “We don’t you getting pregnant until we’re ready.”  
All the men and women looked like Infinix with webbed feet and six fingers. Dressed typically in robes of blue for women and red for men, they spoke little except to give her instructions.  
As unnerving as the whole situation was, the Doctor focused on observing every detail. Every door had retinal scanners. The place was drenched in dim light emanating from the vaulted ceilings, with no windows. It was hard to differentiate day from night.  
After what the Doctor calculated as five days, she found Infinix in her room.  
“You’ve been behaving,” he said. “I’m impressed.”  
“I just want to keep my friends as torture-free as possible,” she said lightly.  
“I know what you’re doing,” he said. “You scope out every room for an exit. Mapping the building. Scanning for weaknesses. A way out. You won’t find one. I promise you my plan is fool-proof.”  
“If you say so,” she said, keeping up her cheerful attitude.  
He carefully approached her. Gently moving a wisp of hair out of her face, he whispered.  
“You look lovely, Doctor,” he said and silently vanished.  
The Doctor let out a breath she had been involuntarily holding. Then she sighed as she collapsed on her bed. She couldn’t give hope now. There was too much at stake.  
…  
Today was the day. After putting product in her hair and slathering her with makeup, they presented her with a red backless dress with a plunging neckline. There was also additional padding in the front. She never felt more exposed.  
They took her outside to what looked like a mansion on the exterior. The building she left was gray and tall. She looked at the sky for the first time. It resembled earth. A man with salt and pepper hair appeared in front of the circular driveway.  
“I’m Arthur Willis,” he said with a charming smile. “The host of the Inter-dimensional Bachelorette.”  
“Hello Arthur,” she said pleasantly.  
“Are you nervous Jane?” he asked.  
The Doctor looked up and noticed tiny drones floating above them. They most likely carried cameras and microphones.  
“More like excited,” she said in an over-cheerful tone. “I can’t wait to meet the man of my dreams!”  
Willis smiled.  
“That the spirit!” he said. “The first batch of gentlemen are arriving now. I’ll see you later.”  
“Great,” she said.  
A limo pulled up. A man with dark skin and a shaved head appeared. He was wearing a suit with a black tie.  
“Hi,” he said with an American accent. “I’m Daniel Harrelson. My friends call me Hondo.”  
“So, am I friend?” she asked playfully.  
“I hope more,” he said with a smile.  
“See you later,” she said.  
“Count on it,” he said and walked up to the house.  
A man with short dark hair with a hint of a curl appeared in a suit with no tie.  
“Hello, I’m Sherlock,” he said.   
“As in Sherlock Holmes?” she said.  
“Ah, you’ve heard of me,” he said. “England’s only consulting detective.”  
“Right,” she said.  
“It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance and I hope, in due time we will get to know each other better.”  
“Of course,” she said.  
“I’ll see myself in,” he said.  
“See you around,” she said.  
He merely nodded and entered the mansion.  
A man with dark hair and piercing eyes emerged. He was wearing no tie and two buttons were prominently undone.  
“Hi,” he said with a wide grin. “I’m Lucifer.”  
He offered his hand and she took it. He lifted hers up and kissed it.  
“As in like the devil?” she asked.  
“My parents had a wicked sense of humor. I’m actually a club owner in L.A.”  
“Interesting,” she said.  
“We’ll talk more later,” he said.   
“You bet,” she said.  
He went into the mansion.  
The Doctor was fairly certain he was the devil in some reality. Just as Sherlock Holmes was a modernized character in another setting. She presumed Hondo was also a fictional character.  
A man with neatly trimmed light brown hair appeared with a black tie.  
“I am James Gordon,” he said.  
She knew he was the police commissioner of Gotham City, where Batman lived. This must have been another re-imagining.  
“Hello James,” she said. “What do you do?”  
“I’m a detective in Gotham city.”  
“Interesting,” she said. “I’ll see you in there.”  
“Great,” he said and stepped into the mansion.  
A man with a prominent forehead and neatly trimmed hair appeared with a bow tie.  
“Hi. I’m Sheldon Cooper,” he said. “I hope you aren’t put off by the fact that I am significantly smarter than you.”  
“I’ll try not to be,” she said with a laugh.  
“They told me to keep my introduction brief, so goodbye,” he said and walked into the mansion.  
The Doctor rolled her eyes and wondered what telly program he came from.  
The men started to blend together. Another limo showed and more men appeared. Most of them were American. The professions she learned about were mostly law enforcement-based with the exception of surgeon, a very muscular librarian, and an information security specialist, AKA hacker.   
They gave her a sip of water between limos and touched up her makeup.  
After meeting a rather arrogant trial science expert, she was relieved there were only two more suitors left.  
The next man had slightly messy curly brown hair. He wore a bow tie and a nervous smile.  
“Hi, I’m Spencer,” he said. “May I give you a hug?”  
“Sure,” she said gamely.  
She felt his hands on her bare back. They pressed against her in different forms. The Doctor gasped.  
“That was quite a hug,” she said.  
“Thank you,” he said.  
“I’ll see you later,” she said.  
“I look forward it,” he said.  
He left her with her world spinning. He had used American sign language to sign DOCTOR on her back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You don’t need to know a thing about these TV shows. I don’t know much about all of them. It should surprise no one familiar with my work that Reid showed up. Those who aren’t, don’t need to worry, I will explain everything.  
> I like putting the character in situations no show runner will ever do. It is not to degrade, but explore another side of the Doctor’s personality. I promise to write her in a way that remains true to her ever optimistic, fighting spirit.


	3. Chapter Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay I’m really insecure about this story. If you could please drop a few (non-flaming) words as to whether you like it or not, I’d greatly appreciated it.

Chapter Three:  
The last fellow was a banker with dark hair. There was nothing remarkable about him. The Doctor was still thinking about Spencer.  
Willis appeared.  
“So, Jane, do you think your husband is among this group?”  
“I can’t say for certain yet,” she said with a smile. “But I have a good feeling about it.”  
“That’s a start. I hate to put you on the spot, but who would you like to have some alone time with first? This will automatically qualify him for the next round as you give him the first impression rose.”  
“I’m still thinking about that hug,” she said with a laugh. “So, Spencer.”  
“Great,” he said. “Let’s go see the men.”  
They walked into the lavish reception area where all the men had drinks in hand. They each looked at her curiously. The Doctor thought of the skimpy outfit she had on, and felt more like a trophy than an actual person. It was disgusting.  
“Ladies and gentlemen, the first rose of the night will be going to Spencer.”  
Spencer put on a good show of acting shocked as he stepped forward. A tray of roses was presented and the Doctor attached it to his lapel.  
“You may have a few moments with Jane now in the garden,” Willis said.  
He directed them to the side of the building. Spencer took her hand and led her.  
Spencer tapped on her hand in Morse code:  
“U R TV Char in my reality.”  
“What a lovely garden,” Jane said mildly.  
“It is,” he said. “Did you know the oldest living rose is said to be around a thousand years old? It is located in Germany.”  
“That is fascinating,” she said. The Doctor made a note, to check it out if she ever got out of here.  
“So, tell me a little about yourself Spencer,” she said.  
“I work for the FBI in the behavioral analysis unit at Quantico. My main job is to apprehend serial killers.”  
“Oh, so you’re a profiler,” she said. “Tell me, what is my body language saying right now?”  
He smiled.  
“That you are a little nervous, but generally excited about the idea of finding love here.”  
“Anything deeper?” she asked playfully.  
“You don’t like those shoes that much.”  
She laughed. It was the first real laugh she had let out in ages.  
“You are good.”  
“Let’s get back to the party,” he said.  
He led her again by the hand and tapped in Morse code:  
“I help however I can.”  
“My turn,” Sheldon said. “Let’s go into the kitchen.”  
“Okay,” she said.  
“Tell me Jane, are you bothered by my superior intelligence?”  
The Doctor wondered what would happen if she hit him with a frying pan hanging from the nearby rack. She merely laughed instead.  
“I don’t know how to answer that,” she said.  
“You seem nice,” he said. “But I doubt a woman who writes about fleeting experiences with the wonders of the world can offer me anything of substance. I’ll see myself out.”  
“Okay,” she said as he left.  
Part of her did feel sorry for him, as it meant his reality was going to be destroyed.   
Hondo appeared.  
“That guy seemed like quite a character,” he said. “I’ve never met anyone so fearless about insulting people’s intelligence.”  
“He clearly wasn’t the one for me,” she said.  
He gestured to his glass.  
“I’m more of beer person myself. How about you?”  
She hated any substance that inhibited her senses.  
“I’m a wine person.”  
He smiled.  
“I figured as much.”  
Sherlock appeared.  
“Times up,” he said. “It is my turn with Jane.”  
“Sure,” she said.  
“See you later,” he said with a wink.  
“So, tell me Jane, what do you look for in partner?”  
“Curiosity,” she said. “I like someone who wants to know more about the world.”  
“I happen to value that quality too. I think we might be a match, though I can’t be certain at this time.”  
“That’s understandable. Let me ask you something: Why would the famous Sherlock Holmes apply for a dating show to find love?”  
“Because of my notoriety, it is hard to find someone who only cares for who I am, not just my reputation as being a superior detective.”  
“That makes sense,” she said.  
Derek the surgeon appeared.  
“Can I have a few moments with Jane?”  
“I suppose,” he said. “Have a good evening.”  
“You too.”  
The conversations were so banal. They discussed her favorite place to travel to (the wall of China). Her favorite music (punk rock). Whether she wanted kids (yes(no)). How lovely the evening appeared. The Doctor couldn’t remember the last time she was this bored.  
Willis appeared.  
“It is time for the Jane to choose which fourteen men she’d like to get to know better on her journey in finding love. Follow me.”  
The Doctor followed Willis into a room containing the pictures of the remaining men.  
“I’ll give you a couple minutes to decide.”  
Sheldon’s picture was already turned over. She touched a couple and pretended to be deep in thought when really, she only cared about Spencer. The rest she’d keep for entertainment purposes. It did gut her to think these realities would be destroyed, but she vowed to find a way to bring them all back.  
“Ready Jane?”  
She was already sick of being called Jane.  
“As much as I can be,” she said with a forced smile.  
“Let’s go inform the men.”  
The men looked a mixture of anxious and eager.  
“Gentlemen, it is time for the rose ceremony. If you do not receive a rose, you will have only a few minutes to say goodbye before departing in a waiting limo. Jane, it is your turn.”  
“Sherlock,” she said.  
He looked quite pleased with himself.  
“Derek.”  
He smiled shyly as he received his rose.  
“Lucifer.”  
He didn’t look surprised, and accepted his rose with a wink.  
The rest were just random. She didn’t really care about these men. Hondo, an Eric, and James Gordon were among them.  
The men who weren’t picked, looked overly sad. One gave her a big hug. Another regretted not having more time with her. One was on the verge of tears. She couldn’t tell if they were playing it up for the cameras, or really were emotional.  
Once the men left, another toast was raised to finding love. There was the sound of fireworks. They all went outside and saw a multitude of colors.  
A man in a white suit appeared and guided her by the hand to the gray structure. Spencer was watching her. She smiled at him.  
She was guided back to her room. Infinix was waiting inside.  
“You’re better at this than I thought you’d be,” he said.  
“Just trying to keep my friends comfortable,” she said.  
“You care a lot for your friends,” he said. “I should have tried luring you with them.”  
“Hindsight is twenty-twenty.”  
“Did you like the fireworks?” he asked.  
“They were pretty,” she said, uncertain of how to answer the question.  
“That was the six realities blowing up,” he said. “It was beautiful.”  
She bit back the insult she wanted to say.  
“Have a good night, Jane,” he said and approached her very carefully. “You look lovely tonight.”  
She shivered after he left.  
…  
The Doctor could not sleep. Too much information to process. She was a TV character in Spencer’s world. How much of her life was a TV show? How come no seemed to recognize Sherlock as the famous fictional detective? What was going on?  
As soon as she finally drifted off, she felt a hand cover her mouth.  
“Don’t scream,” Spencer said. “We need to talk.”  
  



	4. Chapter Four

  
Chapter Four:  
There was only a hint of light coming from beneath the door to the room, so they could barely see each other. The Doctor felt lucky in some ways as she was only wearing a thin nightgown, but also wished she could see Spencer’s expressions better. There were pros and cons to the situation.  
They sat on the edge of her bed.  
“I have so many questions for you. First: The shoes. I’d gotten used to walking around in them. How could you tell I didn’t like them?”  
“It was an educated guess more than anything,” he said. “Most women who wear shoes of that height aren’t comfortable in them.”  
“How would you know something like that?”  
“A couple of my best friends are women, so shoes come up a lot.”  
“We don’t have much time,” he said. “I convinced security to look the other way for an hour. They think I’m obsessed and wanted special time to get intimate with you.”  
“How’d you convince them of that?” she asked. “I can’t find any weaknesses among these people. Not a hint of discontent. Everyone is in lockstep with Infinix.”  
“There are ways,” he said. “Are your friends being held captive? Is that why you’re cooperating?”  
“I want to focus on the ways first,” she said. “How are you getting what you want? How can I use the same tools because I don’t have tools?”  
“I don’t want you to do what I’ve done,” he said. “Let me gather the information while you keep playing along.”  
“I don’t know how much of my life you’ve seen on the Telly, but you should know I will not go along with a plan like that!”  
It then dawned on the Doctor.  
“You’re trading sexual favors, aren’t you? That is the only currency I had never considered.”  
“Doctor, I don’t want you to do that!” he said. “I’ve done horrible things in the past to survive. You shouldn’t have to.”  
“It might expedite things,” she said. “Infinix seems physically attracted to me. Maybe I use that to my advantage.”  
“Doctor please!”  
“I don’t know what you’ve seen of my life, but I’ve shagged. I’ll do it for a good cause now!”  
“But you’re so, so, pure,” he said. “I don’t want you to lose that.”  
“I have blood on my hands too. When you lived as many lives as I have, it happens.”  
“Please!”  
“Spencer, this is life and death. If using my body is the only way to get out of this situation, I’m willing to do it. You can’t change my mind. Understood?”  
He didn’t say anything.  
She blindly reached out for his face and felt tears. The Doctor stretched her arms out and hugged him.  
“It’s going to be alright,” she said. “I promise.”  
“Okay,” he said.  
“Now let’s trade information,” she said. “How much do you know about my life?”  
“Since you started traveling Ian Chesterton and Barbara Wright in nineteen sixty-three. The show was canceled in nineteen eighty-nine, revived for a TV movie in nineteen ninety-six and revived again in two thousand five. It has been airing continuously since then. The last episode featured you visiting Galifrey and discovering the Master had destroyed it.”  
“Okay,” she said. “So not that much.”  
“I had a feeling you’d say that,” he said with a slight laugh.  
“Are your friends in captivity here?” he asked.  
“Yes,” she said. “They have shock collars on and if I step out of line, they get hurt.”  
“Now tell what you’ve learned about this building and where we are,” she said.   
“It has three stories; I’m guessing your friends are on the top floor. We’re on a programable planet, that is designed to simulate earth.”  
“Any other useful information?”  
“I think the building actually a ship,” he said. “In the sections I’ve seen, there are thrusters and shields.”  
“Okay, good, good, information. Now what do you want to ask me? It seems only fair as I’ve done most of the asking.”  
“Can it not be related to our current situation?” he asked.  
“You want to know about me my kids, don’t you?” she said.  
“Tell me about your life before you began traveling with your granddaughter.”  
“The Master and I stole a TARDIS, during our first year at Time Lord Academy. My father intervened to prevent us from getting expelled, but we wouldn’t ever be allowed to travel outside Galifrey again. I settled down, had a family, while the Master schemed. I had two boys. They both traveled and then returned home. Susan Foreman is the English version of the name of my younger son’s daughter.”  
“Why’d you run?”  
“Susan had gotten into trouble for, I honestly forget what, but I know it involved upstaging a teacher. Then I decided it was time to show her the universe. And we never stopped running after that.”  
“Wow,” Spencer said.  
“Aren’t you going to ask my name? Or have they shared it?”  
“It’s your most prized secret and we don’t know each other that well.”  
“Okay we need to come up with a plan,” she said rubbing her hands together. “They’ve told me the format of the show. I’ll include you on a group date to throw off suspicion that you’re the only frontrunner. I want a layout of the building and a way to break the locks. You focus on the layout. I’ll focus on the locks. We’ll meet again in three nights from now.”  
“Doctor I-“  
“Please don’t,” she said. “We need to do things we won’t be proud in the future if we want to survive.”  
“Okay,” he said. “I’ll see you later.”  
“Bye.”  
He disappeared through the doors.  
The Doctor collapsed on her bed. So, she was going to have to seduce Infinix. She had the body for it, at least. It was all about putting on a good show. She’d do anything for her friends and saving of reality. Anything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story will always be rated T. I have been at this long enough to follow the rules carefully.


	5. Chapter Five

Chapter Five:  
They gave her a pair of shorts to wear at least this time, in addition to her bikini top. The Doctor drove up to the mansion in a sky-blue convertible. Upon walking up the mansion she was greeted by all the men. The Doctor was careful not to let her eyes linger on Spencer.  
“Ready Hondo?” she asked.  
“You bet,” he said with an assured smile.  
He wore a sleeveless white shirt and khaki shorts.   
“Let the fun begin,” she said as she opened the door for him.  
Hondo whistled.  
“Sweet ride,” he said.  
“Blue is my color,” she said.  
She drove in the direction the GPS gave her. It looked a wide expanse, but the closer she got, the more she saw, ranging from trees, to grassy fields. Eventually they ended up on a beach.  
Two guides dressed in white presented them horses. Hondo looked slightly nervous.  
The Doctor laughed.  
“I thought SWAT police weren’t afraid of anything!”  
“It’s been a while since I’ve been this close to horses,” he muttered.  
“Oh, they’re just big sweeties,” she said.   
She couldn’t communicate with these horses, so she doubted they were actual horses.  
Once they settled into a slow pace, Hondo asked:  
“Where’d you learn to ride horses?”   
“Texas,” she said. “I spent a week at a dude ranch and learned everything there was to know about these fine animals.”  
“They do seem gentle,” he said.  
“Race you!” she shouted waved the reigns.  
It was exhilarating to run with the animal. For a moment, she actually felt like she was escaping. Running free. Then she slowed down and Hondo pulled up beside her.  
“You are wild!” he shouted.  
“Thank you!” she said.  
“That was kind of fun and terrifying,” he said.  
“That’s the way I like my dates,” she said.  
“You are truly one of a kind, Jane Smith.”  
How she truly hated that name.  
…  
Dressed in another low-cut backless dress, the Doctor and Hondo had dinner on the beach.  
“You look lovely tonight,” he said.  
“You look spiffy yourself,” she said.  
“This setting is amazing,” he said.  
“Perfect for falling in love,” she said.  
“What’s your dream date?” he asked.  
Dancing on the rings of Neptune.  
“Dancing,” she said. “I love to dance. How about you?”  
“I’m a dinner and movie kind of guy.”  
“I haven’t seen a good movie in a while,” she said.  
“You haven’t?”  
“Too busy exploring.”  
She didn’t think she could sit still for an entire movie anyway.  
“I’m looking for a woman willing to settle down at this stage of my life,” he said. “I want kids. I want the American dream.”  
“Can it be United Kingdom-American?” she asked.  
“You don’t seem like you’re ready to settle down,” he said.  
“What makes you say that?”  
“The spark in your eyes after racing with that horse. You live for adventure Jane.”  
Hondo knew more about her than she imagined.  
“I want to settle down too,” she said. “I want a nice house, kids.”  
“I don’t think you do,” he said. “I think you’ve still got some traveling to do while I’m ready put down roots.”  
“So, is this the end?” she asked, genuinely sad.  
“I don’t want to waste either of our time,” he said.  
Hondo stood up, walked over, and kissed her on the cheek.  
“Goodbye Jane.”  
He walked away without saying another word.  
She was left alone and actually felt a tear come down. His reality was dead because he saw the wanderlust in her eyes. It was truly sad.  
A giant gold firework lit up the air.  
“Goodbye, Hondo,” she said softly.  
…  
Spencer, Eric and Sherlock were going to play beach volleyball with her. She was stuck wearing a string green bikini while the men wore swim trunks.  
Spencer looked truly out of his element. He kept covering himself with his arms and couldn’t look at her. The Doctor felt sorry for him.  
It was she and Eric versus, Spencer and Sherlock. Volleyball really wasn’t her game, but she was up for playing it. Eric was a good partner as he seemed to know what he was doing. Sherlock had no patience for Spencer and it turned into a game of two against one. She had no idea Sherlock was so athletic. It was an evenly scored game.  
For the match point, the Doctor jumped above the net and spiked the ball between Spencer and Sherlock. But as she went down, her bikini got caught on the net and fell completely off.  
The Doctor refused to let them see her cry. This was getting worse by the day. How was she going to handle putting up this act much longer?  
Sherlock appeared with a towel.  
“Thank you,” she said. “Nothing like a wardrobe malfunction on the beach!”   
She forced a laugh.   
“I’ll see you guys for lunch!”  
None of the men looked at her, for which she was grateful.  
…  
They gave a revealing sundress to wear on the picnic date on the beach.  
“As a child, I used to love counting the waves on the beach until I fell asleep,” she said lightly.  
“It is impossible to count all the waves,” Sherlock.  
“It depends on what waves you’re counting and a number of other factors,” Spencer said.  
“What, do you have a degree in meteorology?”  
“I like to know things is all,” he said with a shrug.  
“Being around them just relaxes me,” Eric said.  
“Waves produce a sound that is considered non-threatening to the mind, that don’t trigger our fight-or-flight instincts,” Spencer said.  
“Interesting,” the Doctor said.  
“I thought you were just a profiler,” Sherlock said. “You only read people, not texts.”  
“I have three PHDs and math, chemistry and engineering,” he said with an edge. “I use all of them to enrich my abilities as a profiler.”  
So, her friend in the fight for survival was even smarter than she thought.  
A set of two roses appeared.  
She turned to Eric.  
“I like competition among my men,” she said. “I’m sorry.”  
“No worries,” he said with a smile.   
She noticed Spencer looked sad about the development also.   
The Doctor toasted with the Sherlock and Spencer. A firework went off, and the Doctor sighed inwardly.  
…  
“You are doing quite well,” Infinix said when she came back.  
“I’m trying,” she said. “I’m actually starting to believe I can find love here.”  
“I’m glad you’re starting to enjoy it,” he said. “I have a reward for you for good behavior.”  
He pulled out a tablet and she could see her friends. Dressed in red jumpsuits, they were watching a screen intently.  
“Uncut footage,” he said. “They see everything, including the wardrobe malfunction.”  
The Doctor had to make this work.  
“I’m not ashamed of my body,” she said and took the sundress off.  
“You are beautiful,” he said.  
She took another step forward and removed her bra.  
“You do know how to surprise me Doctor,” he said.  
“I haven’t had sex in a hundred years, being here and in these clothes, makes me want to explore the joys of being a woman.”  
“Then I’ll show, you,” he said.  
He undressed as she removed her underwear. Infinix embraced her as they fell on the bed.  
…  
It was gross. There was no denying that. But it had to done. She could tell Infinix was in love with her body. She just needed to focus on the mission, to keep her sanity intact.


	6. Chapter Six

The Doctor cut two men at the rose ceremony the next evening. A Sam and a Dan. They didn’t try to connect with her and as much during the cocktail hour. It continued to gut her to destroy these realities, but she was getting used to it, unfortunately. Their fireworks were red and blue.  
The Doctor then had sex with Infinix when she was returned to her room.  
She had met Mata Hari once during her spying days. The woman was truly fascinating and took pleasure in making her (him at the time) uncomfortable with the way she moved around in a revealing outfit.  
“Death is nothing, nor life either, for that matter. To die, to sleep, to pass into nothingness, what does it matter? Everything is an illusion.”  
She was among the most enchanting women she had ever met.  
The Doctor channeled her as she rested on Infinix’s bare chest.  
“Tell me Infinix,” she said as she massaged circles on his collar bone. “What is so special about the eyes of your people?”  
“Look closely, love,” he said holding her chin. “Stare into my soul.”  
She doubted he had a soul, but looked anyway. It was fascinating. The rods changed color constantly.  
“They pulse with color,” she said with an exaggerated gasp. “They’re stunning.”  
He rubbed her chin.  
“I’m glad you like them.”  
“Do you trust me?” she asked as she touched his neck.  
“No,” he said. “Do you trust me?”  
“No,” she said. “That’s what makes the sex so enthralling. I still don’t like what you’re doing to my friends, but the part of me that is a woman finds you insatiably intriguing. I want more of you. I want everything, Infinix.”  
He kissed her passionately. They had sex again. It was more violent, more, physical. They pushed each other to the limits. The Doctor screamed in ecstasy as Infinix roared.  
“You are a being of wonders Doctor,” he said breathlessly.  
“Call me Jane,” she said. “I don’t want to be Doctor when I’m around you or anyone. I am just Jane now.”  
He smiled delightedly.   
“Mission accomplished,” he said. “I love you Jane.”  
“I love you too, Infinix,” she said.   
She got up.  
“I need to use the loo,” she said. “One of the downsides of this body.”  
The Doctor stumbled briefly.  
“I need get in the habit of folding my clothes rather than throwing them around,” he said.  
“We all have things to work on,” she said.  
The Doctor used the toilet and hid what she picked out of Infinix’s clothes in her hair.  
“I’m tired,” she said. “Do you mind if we call it a night?”  
Infix began to get dressed.  
“Until tomorrow,” he said.  
She stretched out provocatively.  
“I can’t wait,” she said.  
He kissed her lightly on the lips before leaving.  
The Doctor threw on a nightgown and waited for Spencer. Ten minutes later, he appeared. Even in the dim light, she could see he looked slightly sickened.  
“This place isn’t soundproof,” he said.  
“I’m doing what I have to, to survive,” she said and pulled out what she grabbed out of Infinix’s clothes.  
“These are keys, I think,” she said. “There are three of them.”  
“Great,” Spencer said. “I found a transpad to get us out of here!”  
“Where is it?” she asked anxiously.  
“Third floor, where your friends are being kept,” he said. “It’s a way to replenish guards. The next shift change is in half an hour.”  
“I think I know how to break the locks,” she said.  
“The third floor requires retinal scanners.”  
“I have a solution for that,” she said.   
Spencer reached out blindly and felt her face. His hands were gentle compared to Infinix.   
“Why aren’t the others fighting to stay in it?” she asked suddenly. “And why does no one recognize Sherlock?”  
“I’m the only one who remembered the message my reality was being destroyed if I did not win the love of Jane Smith. I don’t know why I remember it. It could be, be my genius. I don’t know why no one knows Sherlock. He might have been purposely erased also.”  
“Your turn,” she said.  
“Why do they call you Doctor?”  
“When we graduate from Time Lord Academy, we enter the heart of Galifrey. The very core of it isn’t a rock or anything like that. It is the moment all life begins at. We enter it alone and listen for our name by which we will be known among the stars. I was called Doctor.”  
“So, it’s like an echo from the future,” he said. “That is beautiful.”  
“I think the Master heard a different name,” she said. “I think what he heard scared him and he chose a name for himself.”  
“Fascinating,” he said.  
He reached around and stroked her face.  
The Doctor leaned forward and whispered into his ear, her name.  
Spencer kissed her and she kissed him back. She pulled off her nightgown. He stopped.  
“Do you want this?” he asked.  
“I want to feel a human’s love, after letting a monster touch me,” she said. “My name is a vow. Timelords only share it to those they feel an intense bond with.”  
Spencer was a gentler lover, bordering on hesitant. She got the sense that he wasn’t exceptionally experienced, so she decided to lead. He seemed to enjoy it as they slowly fell in the same rhythm.  
They had ten minutes left when they were done.  
“Ready to break out of this place?”  
“We don’t have much of a plan,” he said as they got dressed.  
They walked out of her room and then sprinted down the hall to the lift. The Doctor put her eye to the retinal scanner.  
“Are you sure you know what you’re doing Doctor?” he asked.  
“I’m never one hundred percent certain about anything, except that croissants are delicious, I can’t wait to have one.”  
She closed her eyes and focused. When she opened them, her eyes were filled with gold.  
“How are you doing that?” he asked.  
“Residual regeneration energy,” she said. “I store in me for non-life-threatening wounds.”  
Her eyes matched Infinix’s. The elevator began to move.  
“Brilliant,” he said.  
The doors opened to an open floor plan. The Doctor instantly saw her friends. There was also a transpad with a key screen.  
“Hey fam!” she said cheerfully.  
“DOCTOR!” they all screamed at once.  
“Spencer get them, out,” she said and handed him the keys. “I’ll work on the transpad.”  
“You’re the bloke who gave her a nice hug,” Graham said.  
The Doctor began to make calculations on the key screen to find the TARDIS. Contrary to popular belief, the universe could be measured. It was a combination of math and science.  
Alarms began to go off. By that time Spencer had managed to get everyone out.  
“Quickly!” she shouted.  
They gathered on the transpad as the Doctor entered the coordinates.  
“DOCTOR!” Infinix screamed. “YOU’LL REGRET THIS!”  
In a blip, they were gone.  
…  
“Hello Gorgeous!” the Doctor said as she saw her TARDIS.  
All the guns were aimed at it. They started to turn towards it with her and friends.  
“Doctor keep moving,” Spencer said.  
Spencer ran a head of them in front of the guns. They shot him dead instantly, as she and her companions ran.  
Another volley was about to hit them as they she snapped her fingers and the doors opened. Graham was hit in the leg as he lurched through. Yaz and Ryan pulled him across as the Doctor put the TARDIS in motion.  
“Where are we going?” Ryan asked.  
“To a place they shouldn’t find us for at least forty minutes,” she said.  
“Doctor?” Yaz said softly.  
“The third door on the left is the sick bay,” she said. “Yaz and Ryan, take Graham there, the TARDIS will show you what to do for a gunshot wound to the ankle.”  
“Are you okay Doc?” Graham asked and then let out a moan.  
“I will be,” she said.  
Yaz and Ryan help Graham down the hall.  
When she was certain, she was alone, the Doctor broke down and cried.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this seems rushed. I have a few other ideas in mind. I like the Bachelor concept, but not enough to write out six rounds of it. You’ll see! PS: The Mata Hari quote is real.


	7. Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven:  
The Doctor zipped around in her night gown. She needed to keep moving, otherwise she’d have stayed crying at the TARDIS console forever, instead of five minutes.

“What is this place?” Yaz asked as she entered

“It’s where I keep my big projects,” she said. 

“What are you building?” Yaz asked.

“A time laser cannon,” she said. “It will destroy the base the moment before it started abducting realities.”

The Doctor used her sonic screwdriver on one point. She always kept replicated spares in the TARDIS.

“Can I help?” 

“Yaz, you are a woman of many talents, but this is something I need to work on alone. Too many moving parts.”

“Shouldn’t you take a breath at least? And maybe change into something more comfortable?”

“I’ve been wearing next to nothing for nine days. I appreciate your concern for my modesty, but I really don’t have the time.”

Graham and Ryan appeared.

“How’s the leg, Graham?” the Doctor asked as she added another part and connected the circuitry.

“Good as new,” he said. “Possibly better even.”

“I can now add emergency medical technician to my skillset,” Ryan said.

“Good, good,” she said.

“I’m sorry your friend died,” Graham said. “He seemed like a nice, smart, lad from what we saw on the screen.”

“Is there any way we can save him with this device?” Yaz asked.

“His death is permanent as it set off a chain of events outside the facility,” she said sadly.

“Too, bad,” Ryan said.

“Where he comes, came from, my life was a telly show,” she said. “He had the most intelligent questions.”

“Wait, we’re telly characters somewhere?” Yaz said.

“That is weird,” Ryan said. “I wonder who plays me?”

The Doctor put on glasses and bonded some pieces together.

“I’ve suspected my life was a telly show in the past. That was my first confirmation of it.”

“What do we do?” Yaz asked.

“We live the way we always do,” she said. “There’s no point in changing as we don’t know what parts of our lives do make it on the telly. They don’t know my real name for example.”

“Your name isn’t Doctor?” Ryan gasped.

“We’re going to need to discuss Time Lord history at some point. I acquired the name hundreds of years ago.”

“Hundreds, you’re that old?” Graham said.

“That’s one of the reasons I change my body,” she said.

“I see,” Graham said.

“Doctor,” Yaz said gently. “Are you up for this? Is there anyone we can call for help?”

“I know what you’re trying to say. My boyfriend just sacrificed his life for us, my body has been degraded in multiple ways, and I have done things I am not proud of to get what I needed for us to escape. I’m not okay Yaz, by any definition. There is no one else who can do what I am trying to do.”

She added another part. 

“Okay,” she said. “I think this thing is ready.”

“What now?” Ryan asked.

“We’re going back and destroying the reality keeper’s headquarters.”

“You’re sure you know what you’re doing?” Graham said.

“Who can be truly certain of anything?” she said.

She moved the laser cannon out of the room and down the hall. Her friends followed.

“This is where you can help,” the Doctor said. “Yaz, when I flip this switch, I need you to keep your hand on this lever. If the shields break, Graham hold this button. If I get transported out, Ryan step on this peddle. Okay everyone?”

They all nodded.

The Doctor entered the coordinates for the reality keeper. The TARDIS lurched around for a few minutes. No one said anything. There was too much at stake.

She then pressed a few buttons and turned the screen on. The facility was lit with red.

“Evacuation procedures,” she said. “I didn’t like what the people did to me, but they don’t deserve to die.”

“DOCTOR!”

Infinix’s voice roared through the TARDIS.

“How is he doing that?” Yaz asked.

“No time for questions,” she said. “Time to act.”

She looked at the screen and only one life form was left.

“Yaz, it’s time,” the Doctor said.

She flipped a switch, opening the doors, and moved the laser cannon forward.

The Doctor used the scanner to isolate the structure’s power source. The reality drive. With single press of a button, she destroyed it. The building went up on in flames.

There was a zapping sound, and the Doctor was pulled away from her friends and the TARDIS.

…

She found herself on a moon-like surface. Before, she could get her bearings, Infinix attacked. He shredded her nightgown off.

“You destroyed my plans!” he screamed. “Now I’m going to destroy you!”

He scratched and bit at her like a wild animal. The Doctor fought back viciously.

“I know what you are,” she said angrily as she pinned him down. “You’re far more ancient than you look. You have some of my abilities even. You were cast off from Galifrey as parasitic menaces. You’re also the last of your kind. You’re a time predator.”

“Very good Jane,” he said. “You’re going to die with that knowledge now.”

He flipped and she was on the ground. Infinix threw moon dust in her eyes and stabbed at her with rocks.

The Doctor was going to die if she didn’t do something extreme. She fought harder, more ruthlessly, than she ever had in any of her lifetimes. It was literally, life or death.

She had him pinned again.

“Don’t make me do this,” she said.

“I’ll kill you, if you don’t,” Infinix said and spit in her face.

Acid burned her face. It would kill her quickly. The Doctor had no choice. 

She pressed down on his chest and light surged through her hands. Infinix had a huge smile on his face as she killed him.

The Doctor then rubbed moon dust into where the spit hit her. It would preserve it for now.

As she started to feel light-headed, the cloister bell rang. The Doctor ran as fast as she could, to it as the TARDIS materialized.

“Sorry about the delay,” Ryan said.

“Doctor!” Yaz shouted as she ran through the console room.

She went to the sick bay and pulled open the medicine cabinet. It responded to her will and the antidote appeared. The Doctor sprayed it on. 

Then she went into the healing shower. The moon dust fell off and her wounds vanished. She refused to let herself cry.

Putting on a robe, she went back into the console room.

“I don’t kill,” she said. “But I had to kill him, or he was going to kill me.”

Her knees suddenly gave. Yaz caught her followed, closely by Ryan and Graham. They hugged her tightly. These were her friends. It would be okay. The Doctor let herself cry as they held her.

…

After a day of rest while meandering in the time stream, the Doctor came out dressed as herself.

“I think it is best that you three go home for a little while,” she said. “Hug your loved ones, play a pickup game, settle parking disputes.”

“What about you Doc?” Graham asked.

“I’ll be okay,” she said. “I just need to spend some time wandering through my TARDIS.”

“If you’re sure,” Ryan said.

“I don’t like the idea of leaving you alone, after everything,” Yaz said.

“I won’t be gone long,” she said. “I promise.”

“Take care of yourself Doc,” Graham said.

“I will,” she said.

The Doctor pulled a lever, and they arrived in Sheffield.

“We’ve only been gone two days, by my calculations,” she said.

Graham patted her on the back. Yaz rubbed her hand. Ryan smiled assuredly at her.

“I’ll see you in a week,” she called out to them. “I’m going to take you to the largest disco in the universe!”

“I think I’ve still got my bellbottoms!” Graham. “I’ll go see if they still fit!”

“No!” Yaz and Ryan said together as they walked out.

The doors closed and the Doctor put the TARDIS in motion.

…

She took a deep breath, and stuck the special needle in her arm.

The Doctor wasn’t lying when she told Grace Holloway she was part human. Before there were rules about inviting non-Galifreyans, humans were allowed to stay and have families. Not many did, but the Doctor knew she was one eighth human.

It was not something Infinix would know. It couldn’t be his, he wasn’t a higher functioning life form like humans, despite external appearances. The contraceptive shot would have only been one hundred percent effective if she was purely Galifreyan.

She pulled out the needle and closed her eyes. There was a beeping sound. Then she opened her eyes and gasped.

The Doctor was pregnant with Spencer’s child.

After every horrible, inhumane thing she had gone through, this happened. Spencer, a man she barely knew, but deeply loved, would live on in her. The horror she had endured brought something completely different into her life.

After pulling out the ultrasound machine, she threw off her coat and lifted her shirt. She applied the scanner to her body. With her had advanced machine she could see them:

She now had four heartbeats.

THE END

To be Continued in: FOUR HEARTBEATS

COMING SOON

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this feels like a rush job. I am going cuckoo with ideas and want to get them down quickly.My ideas come from left field and I always aim for the fences (my apologies to the UK readers who might not know the metaphors). Thank you for reading, and I promise a smashing sequel!


End file.
